I'm a senior living alone: How do I find help?

@marshagreen Interesting idea. So many seniors are alone with no support.

1)Try your Parks &Recreation Dept for Senior Services opportunities, 2) try a local nearby Church for their Meals on Wheels, 3) try your local Health Department, 4) try your local Pastoral Counseling organization.

Have you tried contacting your county or state senior help department? They may be able to help you. Good luck!

Call the local senior center. Ask them for advice getting help from a nursing assistant. Ask which place has good quality care and a good reputation. The Nursing assistant will come and do lighthousekeeping for you on the days you need her. It takes some time to evaluate you by a nurse and I'm sure Medicare covers it. Good luck...Please get the help you need😊🙏

Church going and ladies Bible study groups and retreats have been really helpful for me. Reading the Psalms is very encouraging for me.

Hi there, I am in Australia so I will keep it relevant. ! am 72, and when my husband died 5 years ago suddenly my social life collapsed. I knew I had to do something to avoid living a lonely and isolated old age. First, I joined a
PROBUS Club in my area. Probus is like Rotary but for retired people. Some clubs are women only or men only, but most clubs are mixed. There are 125 members in my Probus club. We have a general meeting once a month,
and sub-committees of the club organize things like : morning coffees, lunches and dinners, and day long activites like group excursions (last month 30 of us went on a bus tour to the hills outside the city. We visited some beautiful gardens and had lunch in a local winery). Some of the activities you have to pay for to cover costs,
but they are very reasonable. We have a Walking Group which meets twice a week, a Movie Group, a Book Club,
so many opportunities to meet new people and make new friends. Most of our members are in their 70s or 80s.
There are several people in their 90s who participate! Accessibility for aged or disabled people is always arranged. I use a walker, but that does not prevent me attending events. I have also suffred from bipolar disorder (some really severe depressions over the years) but the Probus Club is very welcoming and kind.
So get hold of your local Probus club (your local council should b able to give contact details) and ring Probus
and ask if you can go along to a few meetings or activities to find out whether it is suitable for you. Our club has
a special getting-to-know-you morning tea for new members or people thinking of joining, where you will be made very welcome and find out about upcoming events. I know what depression is like, but you have to reach out for friendship and support. PICK UP THAT PHONE NOW!! It is hard to motivate yourself when you are depressed, but this one step will make an enormous difference to your life. Very best wishes, Ellen

I moved recently but was in your situation just a few weeks ago (before I moved). Mine was the loss of a job and the friendships that went with it. My new neighbor goes to bingo once a week. I’m looking into church after decades away (I’m gay so most churches don’t really accept me). Meals on Wheels? That’s a good start. As if any senior center that might have programs for “shut-ins” in order to help you get comfortable meeting new people.
Good luck. I spent 2 years feeling like I was alone. I gained weight, gave up on trying to find a friend in town, and just was depressed. My medications kept me sane but not “happy”, if it weren’t for my cats, I don’t know what I would have done. Fear of rejection and/or of new relationships, especially after a loss like yours, can be scary or even terrifying. Take baby steps.

I am sorry for your difficulties.
Do you have “Office for the Aging” where you live?
They might have resources you can use if you explain your situation and what you need.
Or maybe a church group might be able to help with some of your needs. Or can point you in the right direction for help.
A Social Worker could be another resource. Your Dr or local hospital could recommend a social worker.

@lindamartin

Lots of good suggestions, but I’ll add another one. Look at what you can do. Who you can help. There are so many unmet needs in this world; so many hurting things. Then move to help others. (It doesn’t have to be people, maybe your thing will be fostering rescued dogs). And as you do it, you will help yourself.

Physically I’m a mess. Walk with a walker. Can’t hear without a hearing aid. Had a brain tumor. But I have found joy in helping individuals and organizations who need what skills I can offer. Best wishes as you go forward.

@lindamartin

I know you posted this quite a while ago, but it is new to me. I just want you to know that I had a good friend who was a neighbor, who battled cancer for years and ultimately was placed on home hospice. She was probably exceptional in that she remained in her single story home, eventually wheelchair bound, until her death. She did exactly what you are describing, throughout her cancer treatments and beyond. She had friends who she took turns calling upon for help. She also took advantage of services provided in our community (sometimes for rides to treatments, house cleaning, etc). This was before Covid and all the delivery and other services like instacart and everything became prevalent. Since I lived so close by, I had the honor of helping her a lot off and on (household chores, support when she was in pain and afraid and needed help calling nurses, taking notes at doctors appointments, help on and off the toilet, touching base daily to make sure she was ok, etc). She had a working daughter who eventually moved back to town, but her network of friends and the other services made their time together better too. It can be done! Especially if you can afford to engage some home helpers (she could not).

I pray blessings and courage and peace to you.